Longing and Desperation
by ScarletStripe
Summary: Chouji's happy with his new boyfriend, but Shikamaru's not so pleased with the arrangement. SLASH i.e. yaoi. Horrible summary, but please read and review. ChoujixOC/ChoujixShika.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the first chapter of my new story! It's a sequel to Barbecue Flavored Kisses, and I've totally changed the premise. I would suggest you read the other story first, since you'll probably be like "WTF??!?!" for the first couple chapters if you don't.**

** The main idea of the plot would fall under a suggestion I got from MarikTheInsaneInsomniac, so I suppose this fic is for you (since nobody else would take it -_-''). I'm just hoping _somebody_ will read this at all. So, without further ado, we start! **

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters (Teddy excepted), groups, themes, within this story, nor do I receive monetary profit from the creation of said story. _

* * *

Teddy sighed as he reentered the gates of Konoha. The few weeks he'd been gone was more than enough for him to fully appreciate the separation. Though he missed Chouji from the first day, he was practically dying to see him now. If he wasn't walking now, he might've been convinced that he was literally dying too. Leaden arms and blistered feet can do that to a guy. He'd never admit to anyone, let alone Chouji. From experience and observation, he found that playing hard to get really _did _work. Chouji could wait if he expected _this_ ninja to come stampeding to the Akimichi compound.

He plodded through the streets, almost shocked by how shiny and cold it was in Konoha. However winter seemed to have let up in his absense. A week trudging through sand and sun was like summer compared to this. The mission went smoothly; he'd only a few other ninja, none of whom were really any good. Even though he knew the crap missions would fall on him as a genin, he was almost insulted by how easy it had been. However, that was _going_ there, not coming _back. That_ had been an entirely different story.

In reality, it only took him a couple days to get to the Sand Country, and that was _with _the merchant. The rest of the time consisted of him acting as a provisional envoy to the Kazekage. At first, it was quite intimidating, but in the end, he just needed to update the Kazekage on his Konoha friends. Temari really seemed indifferent to his existence, but then there was Kankuro...

Teddy shook the thought from his head. The puppeteer-nin was one of the most interesting parts of his trip. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that those painted eyes were watching him whenever they were in the same room, sometimes for a while after too. A shiver went up his spine when he pictured the black-robed teen. In truth, they'd gotten along swimmingly, but there was always that underlying feelings; a mutually unspoken vibe they knew they both felt. If Chouji wasn't waiting back home, Teddy probably would have confronted him about it.

The last day there was an interesting one too. He'd never really gotten used to all the sand, but then again, who really did? Kankuro seemed to notice too, and he tossed him a scarf. All he said was, "You're face is dirty" before leaving and retreating to his puppet lair.

_"Strange guy,"_ Teddy thought to himself as he fingered the material of the scarf still around his neck. While it wasn't protecting him from sandstorms it sure did a good job of keeping the chilly spring wind out. It would have to come off though since he didn't want to track sand inside.

The way back to Konoha wasn't just smooth sailing. He'd encountered multiple obstacles; sandstorms, rockslides, you name it. It forced him to double back and head through the Land of Wind. It was common knowledge that most villages were wary of foriegn ninja, so it didn'ts surprise him much when he was detained for questioning. It really wasn't his fault though; those genin just happened to stumble in on some impromptu target practice. Five days later he was set back again by some farmers pleading for help. Not only had he been

Shaking what was left of the sand and dirt in his hair, Teddy turned onto the street of his apartment. Maybe the chill in his spine would wash away after a hot shower.

* * *

"Teddy's back," Shikamaru sighed to his friend.

"What?!," Chouji blurted as he shot up from his lying position. "He's back?"

"What did I just say?," Shikamaru spat impatiently as he rubbed his temples.

Unsure how to react, Chouji considered his options. "Should I go see him now? Or wait? Do I seem really desperate?"

"Chouji!," Shikamaru groaned. "Just go and see him before you have an aneurysm!"

He didn't have to tell him twice. "I'll be back later, Shika," he blurted as he practically rolled down the hill. "Thanks!"

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru just continued to loaf there on his back. He allowed himself a little smile as he heard Chouji crash into a tree. "Well, I guess they're... cute," he admitted to himself.

He felt a small blush come to his face at the thought, and shot a nervous glance around. If he wasn't careful, Teddy and Chouji were going to turn him into a yaoi fanboy and if Ino caught him with so much as a hint of a smile, she'd never let him live it down.

"Whatever..." he sighed as he laid back down. He couldn't seem to put the thoughts to rest. Thoughts of Chouji and Teddy's little reunion plagued his mind as he desperately tried to concentrate on the clouds above. Shikamaru gagged was appalled to realize _his_ feelings were actually hurt that Chouji just left him like that. "Since when do I care?," Shikamaru mumbled.

As soon as that question left his lips, his eyes shot open in shock. Now he was talking to himself?! He tested his breath and retraced his footsteps mentally to see if he could've been slipped some sort of drug. One way or another, he'd figure this out.

* * *

**So ends chapter 1. I hope you liked it, even though it was sorta puny. I'll have more chapters up if I so choose. **


	2. Chapter 2

**My last chapter was a little small, so I decided to stretch this one out a little. Mostly it's fluff, so don't get too excited when you see the word "bedroom". Anyways, here you go: **

* * *

He didn't know where to start. Would he be at home? Or maybe the store? The barber's? The florist's?

Chouji shuddered as he thought of Ino. He couldn't stand to picture her claws drilling into Teddy, so he kept his mind on finding him first.

Choosing the apartment, Chouji power-walked up the street. Choosing the quick way up, Chouji bounded up the handrails of the spiraling flights of stairs. A simple concussion couldn't keep him from Teddy. _"Though it probably wouldn't help," _Chouji thought as he rubbed his head after falling for the third time. Maybe walking _was _the best idea on the stairs.

When he reached Teddy's door, he knocked three times. Impatiently, he tapped his foot and hummed nervously to himself. A soft "bump" made him even antsier. "_What could be taking him so long?_"

After he knocked a second time, he put his ear to the door. "Teddy? Are you in there?"

He practically jumped back when the soft click of the door alerted its opening. Chouji tilted his head disappointedly as the door groaned open just a crack. "Teddy?" Impatiently, he pushed open the door to find Teddy struggling to get up from the floor without touching anything with his flour-soiled hands.

"Oops," Chouji apologized as he slid his hands under Teddy's armpits and hoisted him up. "There we go," he grunted before giving Teddy a thorough pat down. It wasn't really necessary since dust was virtually non-existent in Teddy's apartment, but Chouji enjoyed it nonetheless. He was almost overflowing with happiness at seeing Teddy, but it seemed as though the feeling wasn't mutual.

"Hey, Chouji," Teddy greeted casually with nothing more than a smile. Chouji had his arms halfway up to accept a hug he was expecting, but he tucked them firmly behind his head instead.

"So what's going on here?," he asked with a grin of his own. "What happened to your head?" However, his nonchalance was betrayed by the slight gulp after his question. He watched Teddy wash his hands in the sink meticulously.

"Haha. Very funny, Chouji," Teddy rolled his eyes. Despite his indifferent attitude, he couldn't help but run a self-conscious hand through his hair. After Kankuro had singed most of it off during their first encounter, he'd been trying to grow it back. Now it sorta looked like a shorter version of Sai's hair. It might've looked like Sasuke's if he woke up with a cowlick one morning. He was hoping Chouji would think it was cute. "Well, if you don't like it, then I suppose I could just shave it off..."

"No, no!," Chouji panicked. He knew for a fact that Teddy wouldn't look good bald. "I-I meant to say, where'd you get your hair-cut? I love it!"

"Psh. Right," Teddy snorted. "But if you seriously don't like it, then take it up with Kankuro. He singed off most of it right after I escorted the merchant. There was an explosion while I was passing by his room, but no harm done."

"Well, as long as you're not hurt...," Chouji replied. He nearly brought his arm up to wipe sweat off his brow when he realized it was completely dry. He probably wouldn't ever get used to Teddy's knack for finding trouble. "Any more news?"

"There's not much happening," Teddy replied, somewhat crestfallen. Chouji didn't seem as excited to see him as he'd hoped. "I just started cooking. You want some?"

Chouji's growling stomach made it nearly impossible to refuse. "Um... well, I _am _a little... peck-ish I guess." Looking up from his armor-plated belly, he saw the small smirk on Teddy's face that told him his stomach had an audience.

"Alright," Teddy called. "Come over here and help me then. It's hard to make ramen on your own." He motioned with a swish of his hair and a grin. Chouji couldn't help but grin himself at the sight of his Teddy. He was almost painfully easy to be around. Chouji was expecting- no, wanting, a little more... response. It had been nearly a month since they'd seen each other, and Teddy was acting as if it was a couple minutes. His thoughts were temporarily put to rest though by the activity in the kitchen.

The crackling of panko, the feel of a warm pan-handle, the sweet smell of frying shrimp; these familiar sensations were what Akimichi lived for. It was almost astounding to Chouji that Teddy didn't know how much he enjoyed this. With gentle eyes, Chouji watched Teddy's hands glide across the counter deftly as he finished the noodles and dropped them into the boiling pot.

"Mmm, the soup smells delicious," Chouji praised. Teddy turned another infectious smile to him.

"I haven't had a good meal in weeks," Teddy sighed. "It might sound corny, but the food in the Sand Country is all really grainy." He held out his tongue at the thought. "Especially the oatmeal. I remember wishing for something a little more... satisfying."

"Well, be careful what you wish for, Teddy," Chouji warned. "You might get more than your fill later." The grin he put on could only be described as "shit-faced." "I guess it'll have to wait 'till tomorrow though, since I didn't cook you breakfast."

Teddy grinned right back. "Like you get up early enough to cook _me _breakfast," he scoffed. "I'd be surprised if even _Naruto_ was still in bed by the time you got up." A moment of thought later, he amended, "Well, Kiba at least."

Chouji nearly stuck his tongue out at Teddy, but instead, just brought his mind back to the frying shrimp in front of him.

"So what've you been doing while I was gone?," Teddy asked this time. The hint of emotion in his voice was all he needed to snap Chouji to attention.

"Waiting for you to come back...," Chouji answered quickly before he slapped himself internally. _"Not desperate at all, Chouji," _he snapped to himself.

For the first time, Teddy looked at Chouji with genuine emotion in his eyes. "Really, Chouji?," Teddy asked. He could feel the mushiness almost enveloping him. Something told him he should've known he couldn't resist Chouji for too long.

He let the noodles alone to cook for a while and looked over to Chouji calmly frying the shrimp. He'd been so busy playing cool that he didn't even have enough time to fully appreciate how much Chouji being here meant to him. Right now, the urge to be closer to Chouji was becoming increasingly harder to ignore as he watched.

"Something wrong, Teddy?," Chouji asked without having to look. He was so immersed in the kitchen work he could sense the slight change as Teddy stopped his work.

"N-no. Nothing, Chouji," Teddy stammered. After all this time, he still found it hard sometimes to make the words come out. "Just waiting on the noodles."

"Y'know I like your hair, Teddy," Chouji mumbled. He didn't have to look up from his work to let Teddy know how sincere he was about it. Even so, Teddy hid his blush and made his hands useful with setting a small timer.

"Th-thanks, Chou," he replied with Chouji's nickname. He wiped the counter where he'd kneaded the dough. The light film of flour came off easily, revealing his sparkling white counter tops. "Chouji?"

"Hm?," he answered as he placed the cooked shrimp onto a plate and laid them aside.

"I really missed you too," he murmured.

Not able to handle playing it cool any longer, Chouji put the plate down and turned on Teddy.

"Chouji?," Teddy asked when he felt the shadow creep over him. His question was never answered because as soon as he turned, his lips were caught into a passionate kiss.

In that one touch, Teddy could feel all of the need and anxiety Chouji had pent up inside of him slowly melt away into the familiar yet exhilarating sensation of love augmented by an edge of lust. The flavor of barbecue tickled the tip of Teddy's tong as he locked his hands behind Chouji's neck and was hoisted up onto the newly cleaned counter. Rough hands explored his legs and lower back, sending him arching and twisting on Chouji's chest.

They were so busy cooking in the kitchen, they nearly forgot the food. The shrill ring of the noodle timer was the only thing that could've snapped them out of their kiss save an explosion.

"Chouji?," Teddy asked again.

"Yeah?"

"You should probably let me down now," he laughed.

"Right," Chouji sighed as he set Teddy down in front of him. He still had him wedged between his bulk and the corner of the counter top.

"Chouji?," he asked again. It wasn't that he didn't like his attention, he just didn't want to ruin the food.

Heaving a huge sigh, Chouji stepped out of the way.

"You wanna grab a bowl?," Teddy gestured to the cabinet as he filled another that he'd already set.

In the time it took for Chouji to get the second bowl, Teddy had fixed up Chouji's and neatly placed it onto the table next to a pair of chopsticks.

He tried to shoo Chouji from the kitchen, but it the noodles wouldn't wait for you to drag your plus-sized boyfriend to the dining room while they overcooked.

Once Teddy had his own bowl filled, they sat down next to one another, contented to eat in silence.

* * *

"So," Teddy sighed as he sat down next to Chouj onto the couch. "How've things been since I left?"

Chouji had just finished his second bowl of soup and exhaled a satisfied breath. "Good, good," he replied. "The chips have been sorta stale lately..."

Teddy snorted. "You know that's not what I mean," he laughed. "Any missions? Gossip? How's Ino holding up after... y'know."

Chouji could only grin smugly at the thought of having beat Ino. It was about time she got her just desserts. He'd probably bake her a pie too as a sort of consolation prize. "Well, I don't think it's totally sunk in yet," Chouji answered. "She really isn't used to losing, so it wasn't the best news in the world for her when Shikamaru broke it to her."

"Well, it's only fair that she knew," Teddy pointed out as he rubbed up lovingly against Chouji's arm. "I wouldn't want to lead her on or anything, even if _you _would."

Chouji choked on the small bit of noodle in his mouth. "What?!"

"Don't kid yourself Chouji," Teddy chided. "You know you'd like it. Even if you've got me, you'd _still _like Ino drooling over you."

"N-no! I don't... How...?"

"Don't deny it," Teddy interrupted. "I know you. It would make you feel like hot stuff," he joked. Chouji didn't appreciate the sizzling noises either.

"Aw, c'mon, Chouji," Teddy whined. "I still think you're sexy..."

"Teddy, please?!," Chouji pleaded with scarlet cheeks. "You're so embarrassing!"

"Well, who else is here?!," Teddy yelled whirling his head around.

"Never mind...," Chouji sighed. As he often did, Chouji found himself wondering how much Teddy should be thankful he was so adorable. He couldn't help but ruffle his now short hair and place a kiss on the crown of his head.

"Well, aside from the Ino thing, it's been pretty boring," Chouji continued when the awkwardness dissipated. "I only got a B-rank mission. Basic in and out type thing. I'm sure you had more fun running around in the sand dunes than I did waiting for you back here."

Teddy smiled. "Not really. Kankuro's stupid puppet thing nearly killed me, but that explosion just succeeded in singeing off a good portion of my hair. It's sorta funny because-," Teddy winced. He remembered thinking it was some possessed cabinet by the shape of it.

"Kankuro?!," Chouji growled as he suddenly remembered Teddy saying something about him earlier. He'd be sure to deal with that puppet-freak next time he got a chance to run over to the sand country.

"No, no, Chouji," Teddy assured. "It's fine. He made up for it. Actually, he was really nice to me while I was there...," Teddy admitted with a blush creeping up on his cheeks. "At least it wasn't Kiba."

"Nice?! Kankuro?!," Chouji barked, ignoring the Kiba comment. Since before the mission, Chouji refused to acknowledge Kiba's existence. That probably set Kankuro higher up in his eyes, if only a little. He knew the Konoha had very good relations with the Sand ninja, but it still wasn't enough to make him forget about the fight between Gaara and Lee. The thought of Teddy with any of the sand-siblings was enough to send shivers up his spine.

Teddy blinked twice before a sly look slipped onto his face. He sat up onto his knees to fully face Chouji when he asked, "Chouji, are you jealous?"

From his seat, Chouji spluttered as he struggled to find an explanation. "N-no! What are you talking about?," he mumbled.

"I think _somebody_ was a little jealous there, Chou," Teddy smirked. Chouji watched the way Teddy's newly cut hair bounced and swished as he joked smugly.

"Well, I think _somebody_ broke a promise," Chouji pointed out. "What happened to not looking at any guys?"

Teddy was taken aback. "I-I... um... I wasn't-"

Chouji cut him off. "Teddy." Teddy hated that tone and Chouji knew it. It reminded him of a bad soap opera actor trying to sound like a firm father.

"Now, Chouji," Teddy said sternly. "You know I wouldn't do anything like that. Don't you?"

"I'm not so sure," Chouji sighed smugly.

"What can I do to convince you then?," Teddy asked, playing along. He rested his cheek against the hollow near Chouji's collarbone and nuzzled the sensative flesh of Chouji's neck.

"Well, I know you could think of _something_," he laughed as his neck shivered under Teddy's hot breath.

"Probably," Teddy admitted as he swung a leg over to Chouji's other side to straddle his lap. His hands snuck under Chouji's headdress as he lifted it onto his own head. The thick head-piece tickled the nape of his neck, sending a couple reflexive twitches down his back. Grinning sheepishly to Chouji, he moved in to kiss him. He was nearly to Chouji's mouth when he remembered what he'd decided on the way back. "But... not right now," Teddy smirked. He'd been waiting for Chouji for the past couple weeks; waiting a little bit to really get Chouji on edge was worth it.

Chouji could only look at Teddy in disbelief. His manners wouldn't allow him to beg, especially for something so... improper, but it didn't stop Chouji from whining. "Teddy," he groaned with a pleading look. It conveyed what he couldn't express in words. His hand clung desperately to the fabric on Teddy's lower back.

"Well, I'm a little tired from the trip," Teddy explained. Swinging his other leg over, he sat in Chouji's lap and rested his head against the crook of Chouji's neck. He was totally relaxed as Chouji brought his arms around him and exhaled. "Plus we just ate. I'm a little... sleepy," Teddy added with a smirk.

Chouji felt a grin creep onto his lips. The cuddling was not quite what he'd had in mind, but he loved it nonetheless. He vaguely remembered fantasizing about a food-stuffed Teddy, and had to admit that he was pretty huggable. He squeezed a little tighter and let his cheek rest against the top of Teddy's head to take a nap.

* * *

Teddy woke up with a start, totally disoriented. "_Where am I?_," he asked himself. The sheets on him weren't there before. In fact, the last thing he could remember was cuddling with Chouji on the couch. Inspecting what he was lying on he noticed he was on his bed. Everything in the bedroom seemed to be in order, but where was Chouji?

"Chouji?," he called out groggily. His voice cracked a bit and he noticed that the window was dark. Did he go home?

Warm hands snaked underneath the covers behind him and the bed shifted as someone joined him in the bed. "Shh, Teddy," Chouji comforted. "I'm right here."

"What time is it?," Teddy asked as he snuggled up closer to Chouji. He could feel that Chouji had changed clothes; the usual bumps of his armor were replaced by soft fabric. He didn't bother to look and see what Chouji had put on because he couldn't really care less. As long as Chouji was here, he was completely content.

"You must've really been tired, Teddy," Chouji said. "It's been days..."

"Days?!," Teddy blurted as he bolted upright.

Chouji chuckled a bit and pulled Teddy back down. "Just kidding. It's been a couple hours. I moved you over when my legs started to fall asleep."

"Oh," Teddy mumbled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No, _I'm _sorry," Chouji said, dismissing the apology and hugging Teddy closer in the same movement. "You were probably dead on your feet, and yet I wanted to..." Chouji couldn't bring himself to say it. "Well, you cooked," he amended.

Chouji worked a tiny sound from Teddy as he nuzzled his neck. "Y'know, you smell really good, Teddy," Chouji said in a breathy whisper. "I missed the smell of leaves and cinnamon."

"I missed your smell too," Teddy admitted. He grabbed Chouji's wrist from around his waist and brought the sleeve of his shirt up to his nose. "You always smell like fresh bread and vanilla."

Pulling his hand back down to Teddy's tummy, Chouji laughed. "Well, it's because I'm always baking," Chouji pointed out. "I guess I should be thankful you don't smell like shrimp and ramen."

"That was just today!," Teddy insisted. "You don't honestly expect me to eat ramen everyday. Who do you think I am, Naruto?"

Chouji thought about cuddling up with the loud-mouthed ninja. He'd never really seen Naruto that way, for obvoius reasons. "I should hope not," Chouji joked. "I'm not really into blonds."

Teddy laced his fingers with Chouji's. "Right," he said. "Like Ino hasn't _always_ been blonde."

"Well, I guess I was just attracted by her _brilliant_ personality," Chouji chuckled.

Teddy laughed with him. "I'm sorry, Chouji," Teddy snorted while turning to bury his face in Chouji's chest. "I didn't know I was dating a masochist."

"Probably," Chouji laughed while he positioned Teddy to rest slightly on top of him. "It's not so bad, though. I'd choose you in a bad mood over Ino any day." Teddy was a little embarrassed by Chouji's sweetness. "Or maybe I just enjoy your punishments."

"Trust me," Teddy warned. "I can do _a lot _worse."

"Really now?," Chouji baited. He craned his neck up to look at Teddy resting his chin against his chest. He was glad he decided to run home and grab a change of clothes, otherwise, he'd be forced to either stay in his armor or strip naked, neither of which were very good ideas with Teddy in this state.

"Don't try me," Teddy mumbled into Chouji's chest. "I may be tired, but not so tired that I won't kick your butt."

Chouji took the hint and shut up for a while. However, he took the opportunity to just watch Teddy. Between the two of them, their breath staggered, so Chouji would see and feel the occasional rise and fall of Teddy's ribs against his own.

Teddy's weight was a reassuring comfort. As it was, Chouji was having a hard time resisting the urge to squeeze and cuddle, but he decided to switch their positions instead.

He gently shifted both of their bodies over so he could rest on his side. Teddy didn't fuss much and let Chouji flip him onto his side too. They laid there, and fell asleep face to face.

* * *

**Yep. Fluffy, fluffy filler fluff. Shikamaru didn't get into this chapter because I pretty much just expanded on a little filler scene. I promise, things'll get a little more exciting later. I'll get something out sooner or later with Shikamaru in it. Reviews are greatly appreciated.  
**


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